script-(unit-6)

PartTwo:ListeningTextOneTheworldhasanewmania,amaniaforlearningEnglish.ListenasChinesestudentspracticetheirEnglishbyscreamingit.(Iwanttochangemylife.Idon’twanttoletmyparentsdown.Idon’teverwanttoletmycountrydown.Mostimportantly,Idon’twanttoletmyselfdown.)HowmanypeoplearetryingtolearnEnglishworldwide?Twobillionofthem.(Students:AT-shirt.Adress.)InLatinAmerica,inIndia,inSoutheastAsia,andmostofallinChina.IfyouareaChinesestudent,youstartlearningEnglishinthethirdgrade,bylaw.That’swhythisyearChinawillbecometheworld’slargestEnglish-speakingcountry.(laughter)WhyEnglish?Inasingleword:opportunity.Anopportunityforbetterlife,ajob,tobeabletopayforschoolorputbetterfoodonthetable.Imagineastudenttakingagianttestforthreefulldays.Herscoreonthisonetestliterallydeterminesherfuture.Shestudies12hoursadayforthreeyearstoprepare.25percentofhergradeisbasedonEnglish.It’scalledtheGaokao,and80millionhighschoolChinesestudentshavealreadytakenthisgruelingtest.TheintensitytolearnEnglishisalmostunimaginableunlessyouwitnessit.(Perfect!IwanttospeakperfectEnglish.Iwanttochangemylife.)SoisEnglishmaniagoodorbad?IsEnglishatsunami,washingawayotherlanguages?Notlikely.Englishistheworld’ssecondlanguage.Yournativelanguageisyourlife.ButwithEnglishyoucanbecomepartofawiderconversation:aglobalconversationaboutglobalproblemslikeclimatechangeorpoverty,orhungerordisease.Theworldhasotheruniversallanguages.Mathematicsisthelanguageofscience.Musicisthelanguageofemotions.AndnowEnglishisbecomingthelanguageofproblem-solving.Text2Part1HostDoyoureallywanttolearnEnglish?CelstinoSantee,anEnglishlanguageteacher,givesstudentsimportantadvice.HostPleasegivesomeadvicetothosewhocometotheUnitedStatestolearnEnglish.InstructorWell,I’dliketogivesomesuggestionsandsomeadvicebasedonmyexperiencetostudentslearningEnglish.Firstofall,don’tbeafraidtospeaktoAmericans.Americansseemtoenjoymeetingpeoplefromothercountries,andtheyliketosharetheinformationthattheyhave.SoifyouareafraidtospeaktoanAmericanthatmeansthatyou’repassingupanopportunityforcommunication,whichisreallywhatit’sallabout.It’snotaboutreadingbooks,orlearninggrammarinsomeabstractway.It’smoreaboutspeaking,communicating;learninghowrealpeopletalkandwhattheyhavetosay.Um,agoodwaytodothisistogooutintothecommunity.AnotherpieceofadviceI’dliketogivetopeopleistrytolearnasmuchaboutourcultureasyoucan.AndIthinkinthatwayyou’llfeelmoreconfidentandyou’llalsobeabletoappreciateourculturealittlebitbetter;learningaboutsomeofthedifferences,butalsosomeofthesimilarities.Part2HostWhatisthebestagetolearnEnglish?LadyAsateacherandatutor,I’vetaughtallthedifferentagesfromreallypeopleintheir60sand70s,allthewaydowntothelowestelementaryschool,children.AndIfoundsomerealdifferences.Ofcourse,theadultshave,um,moretraditionalbased,traditionalformofeducationthattheybasetheirformoflearningon.Also,inmanycasesthey’remorehesitanttospeak.They’realittlebitmoreembarrassed,andtheywanttomakesurethattheyhavethestructureofthegrammar.However,theyoungchildrenarelikesponges.Theyreallyjustwanttosoakupeverypieceoftheinformation.They’renotafraidofmakingmistakesasaretheolderpeople.Itissomucheasiertolearnalanguagewhenyou’reachild.Butyouknowitcanbedoneatanyage.AndIthinkitjusttakesalittlebitmoreofaneffort,andalsothewillingnesstotakerisks;toappearalittlebitfoolishperhaps.Butinsodoing,ifyoucanlaughatyourselfalittlebitandyourownmistakes,thenotherpeoplefeelmorecomfortablearoundyou.Andthismakeseverybody,and,makemorecomfortableandofcourse,communicationiswhatit’sallabout.Part3HostWhatisthebestwaytoteachEnglish?LadyTherearesomanydifferentwaysofteachingEnglish.Itvariesschooltoschool.Itvariesteachertoteacher.Italsovariesastowhetheryou’retakingprivatelessonswithatutor,orifyou’reinalargeclassroomsituation.Insomeways,it’sgreattohaveatutorindividuallybecauseyoucanhavesomebodyworkwithyouone-on-one.However,thereisalsoadvantagetobeabletotakeaclasswithstudentsfrom,notjustyourcountry,butothercountriesaswell.Sotherefore,youcancommunicatewithotherpeople,whichisagain,whatit’sallabout.Youcanlearnaboutothercultures,inadditiontotheAmericanculture,youcanlearnaboutothercultures.I’vehadstudentswhocomplainaboutbeinginaclasswithotherEnglish-as-a-second-languagestudents,butoverallIhavefoundthatthecommunicationoutweighsanydisadvantages.SostudentsreallyenjoymeetingeachotherandbeingforcedtospeakinEnglish.PartThree:speakingIhavebeenlivingandteachingintheGulfforover30years.Andinthattime,Ihaveseenalotofchanges.Nowthatstatisticisquiteshocking.AndIwanttotalktoyoutodayaboutlanguagelossandtheglobalizationofEnglish.IwanttotellyouaboutmyfriendwhowasteachingEnglishtoadultsinAbuDhabi.Andonefineday,shedecidedtotakethemintothegardentoteachthemsomenaturevocabulary.ButitwasshewhoendeduplearningalltheArabicwordsforthelocalplantsaswellastheiruses—medicinalusers,cosmetics,cooking,herbal.Howdidthosestudentsgetallthatknowledge?Ofcourse,fromtheirgrandparentsandeventheirgreatgrandparents.It’snotnecessarytotellyouhowimportantitistobeabletocommunicateacrossgenerations.Butsadly,today,languagesaredyingatanunprecedentedrate.Alanguagediesevery14days.